Hispanic use ofjuramentosand Roman Catholic Priests as auxiliaries to abstaining from alcohol use/misuse

Abstract

This self-administered mail survey study conducted along the US-Mexico border replicates and expands on research conducted in Florida regarding the prevalence of juramento use as an intervention technique for alcohol misuse. Juramentos are pledges to abstain from alcohol use for a time determined by the user. The pledge is usually to the Virgin of Guadalupe and is often done in the presence of a Roman Catholic Priest. As in Florida, the majority of Priests along the border reported they were familiar with the practice of juramentos and had already witnessed at least one. The majority of Priests who had done juramentos viewed them as effective. Since the vast majority of Priest indicated that they would begin or continue witnessing juramentos, this makes juramentos and Roman Catholic Priests a viable culturally sensitive aide for treatment among Hispanics, in particular those of Mexican descent.

Developing the Juramento into an Evidence-Based Brief Intervention: A Brief Report

“…They should also include the culture and beliefs of the populations being served, as Castro and colleagues (2010) and Ornelas and team (2015) have argued. The study behind this brief research report and the work of others (e.g., Cuadrado, 2014Cuadrado, , 2017Cuadrado & Lieberman, 2011;García & González, 2009) demonstrate that the juramento has promise as a religious-and cultural-based application of SBIRT. The expertise of the priest and the trust parishioners have in him are invaluable in administering the juramento, and the resources needed for the intervention are available in Latino Catholic parishes across the country and at no cost to those who seek help for their drinking regardless of parish affiliation.…”

“…It originated in Mexico centuries ago, and over the last few decades, Mexican immigrants have introduced them in their U.S. communities in response to the absence of accessible and affordable AUD treatments. The available research on the juramento (Cuadrado, 2014(Cuadrado, , 2017Cuadrado & Lieberman, 2011;García & González, 2009) describes their use in Mexico and spread to different parts of the United States, but they do not discuss how it can be turned into an evidence-based brief intervention.…”

Religious and Spiritual Beliefs and Attitudes Towards Addiction Treatment: A Scoping Review

“…Most of the studies analysed differences in attitudes between r/s groups (n = 22). Several studies reported only mean scores or percentages of various attitudes towards addiction and addiction treatment for differing r/s beliefs, rather than analysing differences between groups (Cuadrado, 2014;Cuadrado & Lieberman, 2011;Flórez et al, 2015;Hatchett, Holmes, Bryan-Young, & Patterson, 2011). Five studies used correlational analyses between their measures of religion/spirituality and attitudes towards addiction.…”

“…Clergy Attitudes. Two studies found that most Catholic priests from Florida and the USA-Mexico border were willing to witness a juramento (Cuadrado, 2014;Cuadrado & Lieberman, 2011), even if they did not believe it was effective as a form of treatment for alcohol use disorder (80%: Cuadrado, 2014). 7 Most priests believed the ritual to be somewhat effective (67%: Cuadrado, 2014), while 25% reported being unsure and 8% reported believing it was not effective.…”

Deaths in Unlicensed Alcohol Rehabilitation Facilities,

“…There is little existing literature on Latino traditional methods of treating alcoholism. In some cases, Latinos may rely on the Catholic Church to motivate alcohol withdrawal . Another approach uses herbal medicine to promote alcohol aversion .…”